Karate is something you learn properly when you have a good teacher – someone who explains things clearly, allows you to question, and has the depth of knowledge for you to grasp the principles behind what you’re doing. Then, when all this is conveyed, you repeat it – over and over – until it becomes ingrained, instinctive.
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Someone said to me yesterday that karate isn’t a high priority in his life and he can’t get to a dojo to train. Well, this is exactly why some of us have to keep repeating the same anecdotes, the same information.
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Why comment here if you have no intention of trying to understand?
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Someone recently criticized my writing on another forum – not here, of course (funny how that works). He said my posts read like things he’s seen repeated elsewhere.
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Well, yes. That’s because people like him still don’t get it – and people like me, and many far more qualified than me, have to keep saying it.
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The truth doesn’t change just because people scroll past it. If it’s forgotten or buried under fantasy, it needs repeating – over and over – until it sticks.
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Karate has drifted so far from its roots that too many now mistake stepping-drills for reality and kata for aesthetics and choreography, and we constantly hear “karate doesn’t work”.
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I don’t write to please everyone or chase approval. I write to remind, to push people to question, and to help drag karate back to where it was meant to be – a way to protect yourself when it truly mattered.
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Similar to how learning in the dojo involves repetition, revisiting topics helps people better understand and retain what’s real and useful.
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If that makes my words feel familiar, good. They should be. I’d rather repeat what matters than say nothing while nonsense spreads.
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So yes, maybe you have heard it all before – that’s the point. Repetition keeps karate honest – in the dojo and on the page. If a handful listen and think twice, it’s worth saying it all again tomorrow.
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Written by Adam Carter – Shuri Dojo